Chelsea are willing to outbid Real Madrid to sign Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen this summer. The 19-year-old, who joined the Cherries from Juventus for £12.7million last July, has impressed during his debut season in the Premier League and has since attracted significant transfer interest.
The Blues are among the long list, including Liverpool, Real and Newcastle United, that have been linked with a move for the former Roma centre-back, who made his senior debut for Spain last week. Huijsen is said to have a release clause of £50m, almost four times the amount Bournemouth paid for him.
Carlo Ancelotti's Real have emerged as the frontrunners after Huijsen's father visited the club's training ground and met president Florentino Perez, who made him aware of their interest. Los Blancos are desperate to strengthen their defence and Huijsen is one of the names that has appeared as an option.
However, according to Spanish outlet Cadena SER, Real's biggest obstacle to signing Huijsen is Chelsea. It's claimed that the Blues are not only willing to meet his release clause, but are also happy to provide him with a bigger salary. But if both offers were similar, Huijsen's preference would likely be to join Real.
Huijsen has already confessed he is "proud" to be linked with a move to Madrid, and it is reported that he is a Real supporter. Speaking earlier this month, the Bournemouth ace said: It makes you proud to have such a big team interested in you. It's special and means you're doing well."
Chelsea are expected to be in the market to sign a defender this summer. They have had a number of issues in that area this season, having kept just six clean sheets in 29 Premier League games. Levi Colwill has started most matches, while Wesley Fofana has been a mainstay when fit.
Huijsen, meanwhile, has started in each of Bournemouth's last 19 matches after replacing Marcos Senesi in the XI. He has been integral to the Cherries' form as they mount a European challenge. Boss Andoni Iraola has been delighted with his progress and believes he will one day play at the top level.
Speaking about his attributes, the Spanish manager said: "I think he's confident. He is not afraid of marking any forward and I think he's calm on the ball.
"He knows what he's doing, he's under control. Sometimes he will make mistakes like all the others, but there is always a reason for the things he does. And for someone that is 19, it's really strange to find this at this level."